The Red Bulls acquired midfielder Eric Alexander from Portland in exchange for allocation money, named Rafael Gonzalez goalkeeper coach and will bring striker Peguy Luyindula in on trial during the Arizona leg of training camp.

Thierry Henry and Tim Cahill both praised the team’s call to move on from Hans Backe and promote assistant Mike Petke, Cahill saying, “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see what happened last season. The team was really open, messy, there was no stability; whereas now there is stability. There’s Petke, there’s his way of playing. There’s a vision of what’s going to happen.’’

Henry added that he wants officials to deduct points in the standings from teams whose fans racially abuse players, telling the Associated Press, “Maybe take some points away. I’m not in charge of taking control of all the stuff. Those are only suggestions.”